Systems and methods for storing one or more collar stays in a shirt

ABSTRACT

A system for storing at least on collar stay in a shirt. The system includes an enclosure disposed about the shirt. The enclosure is sized and shaped to store the at least one collar stay therein. The enclosure includes a closed end, an open end opposite the closed end, a flap configured to close off the open end, and a fastener configured to fasten the flap in a closed position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The disclosure claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/632,195, filed Feb. 19, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure generally relates to collar stays and more particularly relates to systems and methods for storing one or more collar stays in a shirt.

BACKGROUND

A collar stay is a shirt accessory including a smooth strip of rigid material inserted into specially made pockets on the underside of a shirt collar to stabilize the points of the collar. Collar stays ensure that the collar lies flat against the collarbone, looking crisp and remaining in the correct place. In some instances, collar stays are rounded at one end and pointed at the other.

Collar stays are small and easy to lose. Many professional men are forced to purchase collar stays in order to replace those lost during laundering and prolonged use of a shirt. Moreover, even those who are conscientious in their care of their collar stays often end up with containers of shoeboxes or bags of mismatched collar stays. Most shirts have different-sized collars, making the loss of collar stays and/or the lack of matching collar stays a problem for those looking to maintain a kept-together appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a shirt with one or more compartments for storing one or more collar stays in the shirt in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a shirt with one or more compartments for storing one or more collar stays in the shirt in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure includes systems and methods to enable a shirt owner to keep each of his or her collar stays together and always affixed to the shirt that they match. Further, the systems and methods disclosed herein eliminate the loss of collar stays by providing for a secure enclosure to house them when not being used. More so, the systems and methods disclosed herein eliminate clutter by providing a storage place for all unused collar stays.

FIG. 1 depicts a shirt 100. The shirt 100 may include an enclosure 102. The enclosure 102 may be disposed at any location about the shirt 100. In some instances, the enclosure 102 may be disposed in the sleeve, the cuff, the lower hem, the body, the neck, the pocket, or a combination thereof of the shirt. The enclosure 102 may be disposed on the exterior of the shirt, between one or more layers of the shirt 100, or on the interior of the shirt 100. Any number of enclosures may be used. That is, the shirt 100 may include a single enclosure or multiple enclosures disposed at various location about the shirt 100. The enclosure 102 may be sized and shaped to house one or more collar stays therein. In some instances, the enclosure 102 may enable a number of collar stays to be stacked and secured on top of one another within the enclosure 102. In other instances, the enclosure 102 may be sized and shaped to enable a number of collar stays to be disposed side-by-side within the enclosure 102. The enclosure 102 is separate from the pocket in the underside of the shirt collar where the collar stays are used to stabilize the points of the collar.

As depicted in FIG. 2, the enclosure 102 can be located on the inside 104 of the shirt 100. In some instances, the shirt 100 may be a button-down shirt that includes a collar 103. In certain embodiments, the enclosure 102 may be disposed in the space 106 adjacent to and above the bottom edge 108 of the front shirt tail 110. That is, in some instances, the enclosure 102 may be located on the inside 104 of the shirt 100, near the bottom of the shirt 100, and below the last button 122 or button hole 124 of the shirt 100. The enclosure 102 may be located at any location about the shirt 100. For example, the enclosure 102 may be located in the collar, in the sleeve, in the cuff, in a pocket, or in the front or back of the shirt 100 on either side. In some instances, the enclosure 102 may be stitched to the shirt 100. For example, the enclosure 102 may be stitched on the inside of the shirt 100 or between two layers of the shirt 100. The enclosure 102 may be integral to the shirt 100.

In some instances, the enclosure 102 may include a compartment having a closed end 126 and an open end 112. The open end 112 may be configured for inserting and removing one or more collar stays 114 into and out of the enclosure 102. In certain embodiments, the enclosure 102 can be the width and the length of about a single stay. In such instances, the enclosure 102 may include additional space (e.g., depth) for at least two stays to be stacked on top of one another within the enclosure 102. The enclosure 102 may be any suitable thickness to store any number of collar stays in a stacked arrangement.

In some instances, the enclosure 102 may include a small separation wall 116 (or seam) to bifurcate the enclosure 102 into two separate compartments, which may allow for the side-by-side separation of two or more collar stays. Each of the bifurcated portions of the enclosure 102 may be any suitable thickness to store any number of collar stays in a stacked arrangement. In some instances, the enclosure 102 may be sized and shaped to snuggly fit the collar stays 114 that accompany the shirt 100. In other instances, the enclosure 102 may be sized and shaped to allow additional space to accommodate other collar stays 114 or novelty collar stays.

In some instances, the open end 112 or the closed end 126 of the enclosure 102 may include an internal converging point that correspond to the pointed end of the collar stays. In one example, each of the bifurcated portions of the enclosure 102 may include an internal converging point. In this manner, the general shape of the enclosure (or the bifurcated portions of the enclosure 102) may correspond to the shape of a collar stay. For example, the length of the enclosure (or the bifurcated portions of the enclosure 102) may be greater than the width, with one end of the enclosure 102 (or the bifurcated portions of the enclosure 102) comprising converging walls 105 that form a point 107.

The enclosure 102 may include a sealable flap 118 or the like disposed about the open end 112, which allows for the insertion and safe keeping of the collar stays 114 within the enclosure 102. In some instances, the flap 118 is securable by a fastener 120. The fastener 120 may be a button or snap. In some instances, the button may be plastic, which preferably cannot be felt by the wearer when the shirt tail is tucked in. In other instances, the fastener 120 may include hook-and-loop, a latch, a magnet, or a reusable adhesive, etc. In certain embodiments, apart from the fastener 120, the remainder of the enclosure 102 may comprise the same material as the shirt 100. In this manner, when the enclosure 102 is empty of collar stays, the enclosure 102 may not be able to be felt or sensed by the shirt wearer.

In certain embodiments, the enclosures may be incorporated into the shirts by the manufacturer. In other instances, individuals may purchase the enclosure, which may then be retrofitted into existing shirts in order to avoid future loss of collar stays. These can be made available in a variety of common colors, and can either be affixed (e.g., sewn) or adhered using iron-on technology.

In certain embodiments, the dimensions of the enclosure are roughly two thirds of an inch wide by one and a half inches long. In some instances, the length of the enclosure is bisected by stitching, which allows each collar stay to be housed side-by-side. Alternatively, an enclosure may also use half this width and allow for storage of stays by stacking two on top of one another, as opposed to side-by-side. The dimension of the enclosure will depend on the size of the stays themselves, which may vary based on shirt design, and the available space in the necessary area.

The enclosure(s) may be disposed at any location about the shirt. In one embodiment, the enclosure is disposed in the area of the shirt that is tucked in during wear. For example, as depicted in FIG. 2, the enclosure may be located behind the vertical segment on the left side of a shirt that has openings for the buttons, toward the tail. This would place it near or just behind the position where manufacturers often stitch on additional buttons.

In some instances, each shirt equipped with an enclosure may come with its own set of collar stays, which may be an extra set of collar stays. The design mostly contemplates men's casual shirts and button-down shirts that have stiffened collars. However, the enclosure may be incorporated into any garment, including, t-shirts, jackets, coats, pants, etc.

As noted above, the enclosure may be made of the same material as the shirt. As such, the enclosure's durability may match that of the item to which it is attached. The only item which may not share the same stitching or buttoning as the rest of the shirt is the closure mechanism itself. In order for the closure to remain unfelt by the wearer, it can be made of a small but durable plastic or metal.

Although specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described, numerous other modifications and alternative embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by another device or component. Further, while specific device characteristics have been described, embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous other device characteristics. Further, although embodiments have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the embodiments. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A system for storing at least on collar stay in a shirt, the system comprising: an enclosure disposed about the shirt, wherein the enclosure is sized and shaped to store the at least one collar stay therein, wherein the enclosure comprises a closed end, an open end opposite the closed end, a flap disposed about the open end and comprising an open position and a closed position, and a fastener configured to fasten the flap in the closed position.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the shirt comprises a button-down shirt, and wherein the enclosure is disposed adjacent to and above a bottom edge inside of the shirt below a last button or button hole of the shirt.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a separation wall therein to bifurcate the enclosure into at least two portions configured to allow for side-by-side separation of two or more collar stays.
 4. A system for storing at least on collar stay in a shirt, the system comprising: an enclosure disposed about the shirt, wherein the enclosure is sized and shaped to store the at least one collar stay therein, wherein the enclosure comprises a closed end, an open end opposite the closed end, a flap configured to close off the open end, and a fastener configured to fasten the flap in a closed position, wherein the shirt comprises a button-down shirt, and wherein the enclosure is disposed adjacent to and above a bottom edge inside of the shirt below a last button or button hole of the shirt, wherein the enclosure comprises a separation wall therein to bifurcate the enclosure into at least two portions configured to allow for side-by-side separation of two or more collar stays. 